WASHINGTON STATE'S
ADEN IS OSCAR
ROBERTSON NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association
has selected Washington State guard Faisal Aden as its Oscar
Robertson National Player of the Week for games ending the week
of Sunday, Jan. 22. The USBWA's weekly honor is presented by
Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and will be handed out
each Tuesday through Feb. 21 this season.

Aden

As the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week, Aden was nominated
for the weekly award, which was chosen by a representative of the USBWA board of directors from a list of Division I conference players
of the week.

Aden, a 6-4 senior from San Diego, Calif., led the Cougars
to a sweep over Stanford and Cal last week, defeating the Pac-12
leader each time. In the two games, he averaged 28.5 points and
shot 65.5 percent (19-29) from the field. Aden scored a
career-high 33 points against the Cardinal on Thursday, shooting
10-17 from the field while making all 13 free throw attempts.
Aden also posted a season-best five rebounds to go with two
assists and a steal in the 81-69 win.

Aden continued his scoring spree on Saturday in a 77-75
victory over the Golden Bears, going 9-12 from the field on his
way to 24 points. He also was 6-7 from the free-throw line and
grabbed two boards. He now has had four 20-point games this
season and 10 in his career.

This is the third season that the USBWA has selected a national
player of the week. The weekly Oscar Robertson National Player of
the Week will be considered for the Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list, which
will be released at mid-season.

Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player
of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University
of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year
Oscar Robertson. It is the nation's oldest award and the only one
named after a former player.

At
the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists
for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership of the
USBWA. The winner of the 2012 Oscar Robertson Trophy will be announced
and presented by its namesake, Oscar Robertson, at the USBWA's annual
awards breakfast on Fri., March 30 in New Orleans, site of the 2012
NCAA Men's Final Four.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in
1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers.
With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential
organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America
team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA
and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, contact executive director Joe Mitch
at 314-444-4300.

Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, the most comprehensive
college basketball publication in the world, returns for its 31st
season, bigger and better in 2010-11. Blue Ribbon – long-known as
"The Bible of College Basketball" – gives its readers the most thorough,
up-to-date and timely evaluations of every Division I team in the
country. For more information about Blue Ribbon Yearbooks, visit
blueribbonyearbookonline.com.